Voting: Mentally Handicapped

[Gina]

The father, Cecil Pearson, said his daughter – who is 40 but has the “mentality ... of a 7-year-old” – was “brainwashed the night before” and then taken to a Roanoke Rapids polling site on Friday to vote. He said his daughter told him what happened when he picked her up on Sunday
 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/05/group-home-accused-taking-patients-to-vote-for-obama-as-agency-disputes-claim/

If you have to be 18 years old to vote, should a mentally handicapped person with the mental capacity of someone below the age of 18 be allowed to vote?

[docstew]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/05/group-home-accused-taking-patients-to-vote-for-obama-as-agency-disputes-claim/

If you have to be 18 years old to vote, should a mentally handicapped person with the mental capacity of someone below the age of 18 be allowed to vote?

It would be up to the states to restrict that.

[longview]

Age equivalancy is very hard to determine.  It's easy for us non-professionals to say what age someone is, but to objectify that... very difficult.   Personally, I do not want to start this.  I'm okay with the few that participate in voting. 

[vesta111]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/05/group-home-accused-taking-patients-to-vote-for-obama-as-agency-disputes-claim/

If you have to be 18 years old to vote, should a mentally handicapped person with the mental capacity of someone below the age of 18 be allowed to vote?

I believe this was used for a time in the USSR before the country fell apart. 

How do you determine the mental capacity of anyone.  IQ tests rise and fall depending on the situation of the individual.

This opens a big bag of worms.--------A 7 year old with an IQ of 130, should they be allowed to vote.  Why put an age limit on voting if one is just out looking for those with a good mental capacity ?? What ever that means .

How to explain the old folk with any number of problems forgetfullness , can they vote ????

How about our Veterans with PTS that live on the streets, can they vote ?

You have a child that is diagnosed with any kind of mental problem be it dyslexia, ADD or have a problem with anger management, or  even migraine headaches.   Once labeled as a child, can they not vote as an adult ????

I tell yeah, after 40+ years of being out of school few  could past tests for the 6 TH grade as we learn from helping kids with their home work. In some cases parents and G parents learn more then they had any idea of helping out the kids in their schooling.
G parents IQ goes a few notches and the kids stay the same.

This woman in a group home was given the respect to be allowed to vote, it is true she may not have much understanding of what was going on------However she was not a second class citizen due to no fault of her own, they have mock voting in grade schools with 7 year old, she by birth as an American citizen and age has the same right to vote as the least of us.  More rights then the dead that voted, more rights then the elderly in nursing homes that can no longer hear or see,someone else has to sign their name to a absentee ballot for them.  and more rights then the non Americans that are able bodied and mind to vote.

I bet that even with the mentality of a 7 year old, and don't put them down they hear and see more then we think, this 40 year old woman was excited and all so happy to be part of life.